Bill Romanowski — the former Denver Broncos linebacker known for delivering bone-cracking hits — is alleging in a new federal lawsuit that he was blindsided by a tax scam.

The setup, Romanowski says, involved investing millions of dollars into thoroughbred racehorse breeding in order to collect millions more in tax write-offs. But when the operation crumbled, Romanowski alleges, he discovered that the law firm that advised him in the investment was secretly on the scheme’s payroll.

In the case filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Denver, Romanowski and his wife, Julie, are suing Greenberg Traurig, alleging the law firm “failed to practice at the standard of care required of transactional and tax attorneys.”

Attorneys for the Romanowskis and for the firm did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

The lawsuit says the couple, with Greenberg Traurig’s reassurance, agreed in 2003 to invest about $1.3 million into a thoroughbred breeding- rights leasing program run by a company called ClassicStar.

As part of their investment, the Romanowskis could sell any foals that came from their breeding-rights leases, but the real appeal was in the tax write-offs, which would supposedly net the couple about $3 million, the suit claims.

The scheme, however, soon collapsed and its managers were later charged with, and pleaded guilty to, conspiracy to defraud the government. Federal investigators allege that the scheme resulted in nearly $600 million in falsely claimed tax deductions nationwide.

The Romanowskis say the Internal Revenue Service has audited their tax returns, “creating significant tax liability.”

For this, the Romanowskis blame Greenberg Traurig, which the couple claims was secretly earning a 7 percent commission on the investment of clients it brought to ClassicStar.

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